Just with his raw physical tools he would abuse the league today, not to mention his unique skill set. There isn't a big man in today's game who is even half of what Wilt was.
Try telling that to the posters who believe that he has no discernable basketball skills or IQ, and what would be perceived as decent athleticism. While, he only dominated because he played against 6,6 centers (which is myth often disproved). You don't see centers averaging that many assists that Wilt have over their careers. He's the all time leader in points per game, rebounds, and assists, while probably realistically could be the all time blocks leader.
Because of pacing, sure, you don't see people matching the 8+ he put up that one year, but let's not pretend like he's John Stockton. In terms of assist %, David Robinson at his peak was pretty comparable. Actually even Hakeem during his MVP years put up some high stats in that regard.
The pace of the game was slower before Wilt entered the league than it is now. He help make it a faster game, along with the Celtics fast-break style, which was widely copied. Before Wilt's rookie year no NBA player had ever averaged 30 ppg. He then was the first to top 35, 40, 45, and yes 50 ppg. His 55 rebound game was against Bill Russell. His year of leading the league in assists was the one year in his prime where he had top teammates and a top coach, and they won it all, easily. His numbers would not have been so huge with better teammates, but they would still have been crazy, and his rings would be where Russell's are in total (11)
Bill Russell. Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Nate Thurmond. And when they said Wilt couldn't pas, the next season he lead the NBA in assists. Get out while you can.
As I've said many times before, assists were given out more conservatively in the 60s (ball couldn't even touch the floor). He's not John Stockton, but he does still lead all centers in assists (even the ones from his era). You'd be foolish to not think or deny Wilt was one of the better passing big men in NBA history. Just ask his peers or contemporaries, notice they don't speak that way about others, why is that? Moreover, he was a CENTER who lead the league in assists. Name one other center whose ever done that or come close to doing that in NBA history at any point. I hate mentioning that fact, but it's true ... he average more assists than a good number of starting point guards and shooting guards over two seasons. I'm pretty sure David Robinson or any other center you can pull up never came close to being a top 10 player in assists, while also being one of the top scorers and rebounding players in the league. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...t-chamberlain-is-the-greatest-nba-player-ever Also, how many other centers have never fouled out of an NBA game in their careers? 45.8 mpg played ... no one comes close, not even people in his own era.
He also scored more than 50 points against Russell seven times, while Russell only score 30 or more against him 3 times.
Too bad about Yao and that he didnt' get to play longer. I guess he had a regular career (1997-2011) in years, but that playing year-round stuff was really really a bad career path. He was just getting super dominant in his last few years with the Rockets when healthy. He owned Howard in their match-ups.
FWIW, modern shoes don't help you jump higher. If anything, they are heavier and more rigid than ever - technically limiting our jumping abilities. The lighter and more form-fitting the shoe, the better. Modern shoes do however keep our ankles and knees from grinding away into dust from repeated jumping so.....yay modern shoes.
"We need this one, Keith, think I'm going to break out my Chucks." <-- Sentence Keith Jones never heard in his entire life.
I think 2, if not 3 Rockets blocked it. Bill Willoughby and Hakeem blocked it from what I recall. Sampson may have blocked it.
all you have to do is compare how wilt did against kareem, how kareem did against hakeem, how hakeem did against shaq, how shaq did against yao ming, and how yao ming did against dwight howard. and there is your answer. dwight sucks. don't trade for him
Anyone notice that high jump footage ? A couple of handfuls of hay for the landing pad ...holy crap ..that's when men were men
It was slower because they just introduced the shot clock in 1954. Then it started risign till it peaked around the early 60's and became NBA Live speed, faster than ever before or since, with ridiculously awful shooting percentages, which is how you get 55 rebound games. He never led the league in assists. His career high was 8.5 in 1968 coming in second behind Oscar, but his assist % was WAY lower than oscar's (33% vs. 23%)...if I'm not mistaken wasn't he determined to rack up assists that year to prove a point? Anyway, you're right that the definition of an assist was tougher back then, but then again, teh pacing was so much faster as well - I just don't see Wilt doing much better than what Robinson did in the modern era which was around 5 assists and a 20% mark.
